Devotions - Prayer
One of the ways God’s goodness is revealed is through His mercy. We may describe mercy as “the readiness of God to relieve the misery of fallen creatures.”
• Many times, mercy is called compassion or lovingkindness.
• Mercy is expressed toward the sinner because of the misery that sin has brought upon him.
God’s mercy to the believer is revealed by His taking away the misery of sin’s consequences through the New Covenant of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Mercy is not something merited or earned, but as the Apostle Paul states, “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to HIS MERCY He saved us.”
Our Heavenly Father is the author, originator, and source of all mercy.
Psalm 102:11–13 My days are like the evening shadow; I wither away like grass. But you, O Lord, sit enthroned forever; your renown endures through all generations. You will arise and have compassion on Zion, for it is time to show favor to her; the appointed time has come.
There’s a picture of a man in deep loneliness, despair. He feels his life is fading away like the evening shadows and there’s so little time left for him. He says, “I’m withering away like grass.” Have you ever felt like that? And what do you do if you ever feel like that?
Do what that man did. He looked away from himself, his own situation, he lifted up his eyes to the Lord and he saw the Lord by faith, on His throne, and he realized that the Lord doesn’t change with our situations and circumstances.
The Lord is always on His throne. He’s always in total control.
And then he realizes that there’s going to come a time of compassion and mercy. He says, “It’s time to show favor to Zion; the appointed time has come.” I believe we are living in that time when God is determined :
• To show mercy to His people,
• To restore His people.
So let’s look away from our problems, our distresses, our anxieties. Let’s look, like the psalmist, up to the throne of God, see God there on His throne and realize He’s ready to show mercy.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, (1 Peter 1:3 ) Born Again to a Living Hope! Amen
Hosea 4:6 my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge.
“Because you have rejected knowledgeI also reject you as my priests; because you have ignored the law of your God, I also will ignore your children.
Knowledge is power! Your knowledge of God [His word] will spur you on through the fiercest of storms. Because you know that God is always with you,-you can walk through on this earth with the widest smile anyone has every seen.
**Because you KNOW that you’re more than a conqueror, that God never leaves you, that you can do all things through Christ, that He who is in you is greater [than all].
God loves you–You are His Masterpiece!
Proverbs 4:7 The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding.
Have we allowed our prideful thoughts, wounded emotions and self-centered desires to quench God’s Love in our hearts and separate us from each other?
John 17: 3 Now this is eternal life: that they KNOW you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ,
Jesus defines eternal life as KNOWING God the Father and Jesus Christ.
Eternal life is having an intimate, personal relationship with God the Father and Jesus the Son.
This intimacy with God is what salvation is all about.
-Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Anyone who views salvation as only forgiveness of sins and stops there is missing out.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
Salvation was intended to be presented as the way to come back into harmony with God.
Romans 10:13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Instead, salvation has often been presented as the way to escape the problems of this life and later the judgment of hell.
John 3:15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”
We Belivers KNOW that—Only an intimate relationship (eternal life) with our Father can do that. We need to tell them.
*KNOW, that the Lord has been with you and protected you; even carried you in times when you were not able.
Lord, help me have an Eternal Perspective and:
” Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”(1 Thess. 5:16-18). Amen
Read More
Jesus replied, Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again. (John 3:3)
A new birth is absolutely essential to enter the kingdom. John uses a very interesting word here that is translated anew, or again. It is the Greek word, anothen, which means again or to do something a second time. It often points to a radical new beginning which comes from above.
• It signifies God must do this.
• It is speaking of something radical, a new beginning.
• It is a second birth, but it comes from above.
• It is God that does it, not man; and it results in a new creation, a new beginning.
This idea appears many times in the New Testament.
• Paul speaks of babes in Christ, (1 Corinthians 3:1).
• Peter says, as newborn babes desire the sincere milk of the word that you may grow, (1 Peter 2:2).
• Again Peter says we are born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, (1 Peter 1:23).
• And he speaks of being born to a living hope, (1 Peter 1:3).
• Paul speaks not only of being new creatures in Christ but of a new creation; of passing from death unto life, of a new, radical start.
Jesus makes clear that this is the only way to enter the kingdom of God. If you do not come this way you cannot enter. There is no way you can even see the kingdom of God without this.
To be in the kingdom of God, of course, is to belong to God; it is to be a part of his rule, his reign, his domain. Paul speaks of being transferred from the kingdom of darkness, ruled by the god of this world, into the kingdom of the Son of his love, (Colossians 1:13). Thus, Jesus was referring to a transfer of citizenship, a radical departure from what we once were.
Jesus sensed in Nicodemus (John 3) a deep hunger, an emptiness. Here was a man who was doing his level best to obey what he thought God wanted, yet he had an empty and unsatisfied heart that led him to seek out Jesus by night, at the risk of the displeasure of his peers, to talk with him about the kingdom of God.
Sensing this our Lord immediately puts him on the right track, saying to him, in effect, You are wasting your time if you think you can enter the kingdom of God the way you are. You cannot do it. You must be born again.
Father, thank you for the miracle of new birth which comes only from above. It is only through your great power and love that such a thing could happen to me. Amen (See Ephesians 2:1-10 too)
Scripture tells us that, as new believers, we have “put on” Christ. Although this begins in our hearts when we’re born again, we must continually choose to “put on” Christ moment by moment throughout our lives. This is the process of sanctification.
“…put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.” Ephesians 4:24
He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake (Psalm 23:3b).
The Hebrew word translated “paths” means “a well-defined, well-worn trail.” That indicates again how stupid sheep are, because even when the trail is well laid out, they still need a shepherd. They are still inclined to wander away, no matter how obvious the path may be. The shepherd knows the trails. He has been there before, and the sheep trust him
We have to make countless decisions, day after day, which touch the lives of our children and our wives and husbands. We need wisdom. We need a shepherd. We need someone who knows the trails, someone whom we can trust.
We all need a decisive word from someone who knows the way, and the Lord knows the way. But the question arises–
“How can I discover His will for my life?”
May I suggest these steps?
First, submit wholeheartedly to the leadership of the shepherd. That is the basic attitude we must maintain. Unless we are willing to admit that we don’t know the way through the wilderness and submit to His leadership, we will never find the way.
The second thing we must do is to obey what we know now to be God’s will for us. Most of God’s will is already revealed in His Word. We have to begin by obeying the truth that we have.
But what about other areas of life where the Scriptures do not give specific information?
There we are led by the peace of God. As we spend time praying and waiting upon God, there comes a sense of peace, an inner conviction, about the correctness of a certain direction.
Father, You have promised to lead me in paths of righteousness. Help me to be willing to follow, even when I don’t understand. AMEN
Jesus taught that our perspective in life, the way we view the world, affects every detail of our lives. Therefore it is of utmost importance. How we view God and how we think God views us will be of great importance..
Two areas to look at with the contrasts of views (eternal vs. temporal)
We live our lives on the basis of our belief system. BUT where do we get our beliefs from?
People act on what they BELIEVE to be true even if their beliefs are not true.
TEMPORAL VIEW: (1 Corinthians 1:20-25)
Here everything is relative. There are no absolutes. Because our human perspective is based on knowledge and experience, it is limited and incomplete.
ETERNAL VIEW: (1 Corinthians 2:6-9)
An eternal perspective enables us to live in light of God’s truth rather than what we perceive to be true through our limited knowledge.
Living according to God’s wisdom will appear to be foolishness to the world but is based on the true measure of reality: God’s eternal Truth. John 14:6 Psalm 119:160
It is easy to believe the wisdom of men and thus pursue VALUES with our own interests and comfort as the goal. However, what satisfies and gratifies us now is not necessarily in our best interest in light of eternity.
Left to ourselves, we’re stubborn, prideful, sinful, and utterly hopeless.
But praise God that Jesus Christ has done the work I couldn’t— taking away my sins, and given me eternal life when I certainly didn’t deserve it!
• Any chance you had of getting to heaven on your own was destroyed by sin.
• But Christ destroyed the power of sin on the cross to give you & me eternal life if we’ll only trust in Him.
• Put your faith in Christ, not yourself, for eternal life. It’s His work alone that can save you!
The true perspective is that, if we are Christians, we do not belong to this world. Our true home is in heaven. If this is our view, then we will not want to have anything to do with the world’s values. We are just passing through this life!
How to Develop an Eternal Perspective. (Eph. 5:18, Col. 3:16)
This involves both taking in the truth and acting on it.
DON’T TRUST IN YOUR OWN WORKS TO GET YOU TO HEAVEN. TRUST IN CHRIST’S WORK ALONE FOR ETERNAL LIFE!
Thank you Jesus for loving us so much you took our sins away at the cross and now through You we have Victory over this world. Amen
Read More
Be humble and give more honor to others than to yourselves” (Philippians 2:3b ).
Pride destroys relationships. It shows up in a lot of different ways, like criticism, competition, stubbornness, and superficiality.
The problem with pride is it’s self-deceiving. Everybody else can see it in us but us. When you have a problem with pride, you don’t see it in your life.
Proverbs 16:18 says, “Pride leads to destruction; a proud attitude brings ruin”. I love this verse in the Message paraphrase: “First pride, then the crash — the bigger the ego, the harder the fall.”
- Pride destroys relationships, but humility is the antidote to pride.
- Humility builds relationships.
The Bible says in 1 Peter 3:8, “Live in harmony, be sympathetic, love each other, have compassion, and be humble”.
How are you and I going to grow in humility?
It happens by letting Jesus Christ begin to control our thoughts and hearts and attitudes and reactions. He’s got to be a part of this. Ephesians 4:23-24 says, “Let the Spirit change your way of thinking and make you into a new person” .
How do you become a new person? How do you start to think in a different way?
The basic law of relationships is this: You tend to become like the people you spend time with.
- If you spend time with grumpy people, you get grumpier.
- If you spend time with people in addictions, you get addicted.
- If you spend time with people that have gratitude, you have gratitude.
- If you spend time with happy people, you get happier.
- If you spend time with selfish people, you become selfish.
- If you spend time with people who do not respect others, you will not respect others.
If you want to have more humility, spend time with Jesus Christ. He is humble. He wants a relationship with you. He wants you to spend time with him in prayer and reading his Word and talking to him. He is humble, and as you get to know him, you’ll become more like him.
“Be humble and give more honor to others than to yourselves … You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to” (Philippians 2:3b, 5-6.
No one has done anything more humble than Jesus, coming from Heaven to Earth to become a man, live for us, give his life for us, and be resurrected for us.
When you spend time with him, it makes you more humble, and that builds your relationships.
Read More
1 John 2:2 And he(Jesus) is the propitiation for our sins: and not for our’s only, but also for the sins of the whole world.
*Jesus is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.
*Jesus Christ, is our advocate who pleads our case before God when we sin. He is the ONLY atonement that satisfies God. So NO WORKS OF THE FLESH can atone for our sins.
What Does “Propitiation” Mean? Propitiation is a big word that means satisfaction.
Because God is a holy God, His anger and justice burns against sin. And He has sworn that sin will be punished.
There must be a satisfactory payment for sin.
*But God said, “If I punish man for his sin, man will die and go to hell.
*On the other hand, if I don’t punish man for his sin, My justice will never be satisfied.”
The solution?
*God said that He would become our substitute.
*He would take the sin of mankind upon Himself in agony and blood—a righteous judgment and substitute for sin.
His wrath burned out on the cross when His only Son died as man’s propitiation for sin. And this is love.
1 John 4:10 This is what love is: it is not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the means by which our sins are forgiven.
Rejoice and be glad for the Lord has wonderful plans for you fulfilling His eternal purpose through you!
Isaiah 43:19 Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.
Dear Jesus, I will never know what you suffered and felt, and for that I am grateful. My heart hurts when I do try to wrap my brain around what was truly done to you. Yet, I know that the pain was temporary, as massive as it was. And I love you SO much for taking the pain of my sins so that I can have the promise of eternal life. I ask that you walk with me through this life, helping me to avoid sin. Sin leads to damnation, and the pain you suffered was the pain of our collective damnation! If I think that my sins would lead to my eternal suffering, I know that I never want myself or my loved ones to face that forever. I want to live with you forever! Amen.
John 17:3 And eternal life means to know you, the only true God, and to know Jesus Christ, whom you sent.
* Eternal life requires entering into a personal relationship with God in Jesus Christ. When we admit our sin and turn away from it, Christ’s love lives in us by the Holy Spirit.
Even when we blow it badly and fail to remain an open, cleansed vessel for the Lord, He doesn’t stop loving us.
“The steps of a man are established by the Lord…When he falls, he shall not be hurled headlong; because the Lord is the One who holds his hand.” Psalm 37:23-24
” Then he(Jesus) said to them(disciples), “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”” (Mt 26:38).
*Jesus shares his burden with his disciples. He cared about his disciples and valued His relationship with them. Relationships are important to Jesus. Even as a leader, He shows His humility.
*In times of sorrow and despair Jesus prays.
Even Jesus, who has a perfect relationship with God, still needs to pray..how much more do we need to pray to remain in the Fathers will?
*When we pray we align our will to His. It’s accepting God’s call….not changing God but me.
*Can we tell God that it’s ok to do things His way? Do we trust Him enough? Can we submit? And obey? (Read Psalms 139:23-24)
*Obeying God is a decision WE make.
Hebrews 5: 8 Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered.
Often the place of our greatest pain becomes the place of our greatest triumph.
Gethsemane was the place of Jesus’ greatest trial.
Three times He asked the Father to let this trial pass. It was not to be.
*The Father sent His Son to the cross to pay a debt owed by humanity.
*It was a personal battle to persevere.
The Word of God makes it clear that “whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Rom. 10:13); “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me” (Rev. 3:20); and “whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely” (Rev. 22:17). No one has ever been denied the opportunity to accept salvation (Ti. 2:11).
“We Fight FROM Victory—Not FOR Victory!
John 4:4 You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.
Thank You Lord that You are always there for us, watching over us, protecting us, and giving us strength. No matter what we’re facing today, Thank You that I can just turn to You. Help me Believe and Know that Jesus will pull us through anything because He will without question. (Col. 2:2-3). Amen
Read MoreOnce we have confessed and repented of our sins, we must relinquish them to God. He will not violate our free will by taking them from us, so we must CHOOSE to hand them over.
“As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.” Psalm 103:12
*We are forgiven by grace, from the first time we confessed our sin. God will never bring it up again.
Romans 8:1 There is therefore now NO condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
*Quit feeling guilty for the things you have confessed to God.
*Quit doing things that you know you will feel guilty about later.
*Root yourself in God’s word.
Get off the performance treadmill and rest in His grace.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)
The hardest person to forgive sometimes is ourselves.
Philippians 4:19 And my God will supply your every need according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.
It is especially hard for high achievers to forgive themselves.
*We think we are above such failure. (Pride)
However, the Bible says we all sin and it is impossible to remedy that sin by ourselves.
Romans 3: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
“If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives?” (1 John 1:8,10).
The question is not whether we will sin, the question is what we will do when we do sin.
There is only one thing for us to do. Go to the cross.
Jesus paid for that sin by dying on the cross.
Picture yourself writing your sin on a white piece of paper, then pinning it to the cross.
Now, leave it there. The cross is for sinners. We all make mistakes!! Self Pity is of the devil.
When Jesus looks at you, He no longer sees your sin. He cannot see the sin because He can only see the cross.
When you come to Jesus with your sin, there is nothing more you can do besides confessing and renouncing your sin.
*Sometimes it may require restitution with others. However, once you confess your sin and ask forgiveness, it is no longer on the ledger of debts.
Why not choose to walk free. The cell has been opened.
Father, I want to walk in your grace. I want to take off the yoke of guilt and put on the yoke of grace today. Lord, help me to eliminate the negative self-talk in my life. Help me to focus my mind on the positive things. Help read my Bible every day and memorize it and meditate on it. And as I read it, (the Bible has over 8000 promises for US) remind me again and again how much you love me. Amen
Read MoreThe bow is seen in the clouds. Genesis 9:14
The rainbow, the symbol of the covenant with Noah, foreshadows our Lord Jesus, who is the Lord’s witness to the people.
When may we expect to see the token of the covenant? The rainbow is only to be seen painted upon a cloud. When the sinner’s conscience is dark with clouds, when he remembers his past sin and mourns and laments before God, Jesus Christ is revealed to him as the covenant Rainbow, displaying all the glorious hues of the divine character and declaring peace.
To the believer, when his trials and temptations surround him, it is sweet to behold the person of our Lord Jesus Christ—to see Him bleeding, living, rising, and pleading for us. God’s rainbow is hung over the cloud of our sins, our sorrows, and our woes, to prophesy deliverance. By itself a cloud does not give a rainbow; there must be the crystal drops to reflect the light of the sun.
So, our sorrows must not only threaten, but they must really fall upon us. There would have been no Christ for us if the vengeance of God had been merely a threatening cloud: Punishment must fall in terrible drops upon Him.
Until there is a real anguish in the sinner’s conscience, there is no Christ for him; until the chastisement that he feels becomes grievous, he cannot see Jesus.
But there must also be a sun; for clouds and drops of rain do not make rainbows unless the sun shines. Beloved, our God, who is as the sun to us, always shines, but we do not always see Him—clouds hide His face; but no matter what drops may be falling or what clouds may be threatening, if He shines there will be a rainbow at once.
It is said that when we see the rainbow, the shower is over.
It is certain that when Christ comes, our troubles withdraw; when we look on Jesus, our sins vanish, and our doubts and fears subside. When Jesus walks upon the waters of the sea, how profound the calm! Amen
Read More
“And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance of hope until the end, so that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” (Hebrews 6:11–12)
*I see a call to endurance– to run the race (it’s a marathon) that has been set before us.
*To seek and strive for a closer and deeper relationship with our Savior and never be happy standing still.
*Spiritual sluggishness is a manifestation of unbelief.
*Spiritual sluggishness is a sign that there’s something about God that we doubt and it’s draining our hope, which means it’s draining our energy and drive.
**We’re not giving it all we have because –we doubt it’s worth the effort.
Spiritual sluggishness is not to be tolerated; it’s to be fought. (Hebrews 3:19).
Spiritual sluggishness is a weight that needs to be laid aside (Hebrews 12:2). So how do you do that?
1. Identify the doubt.
*Sluggishness has a cause. What is sapping your faith?
2. Repent. Unbelief is a sin.
*Seek to actively turn from it.
3. Target that unbelief with Biblical truth.
*Stop whatever else you may be doing for devotional reading and focus on and pray through texts that deal directly with this issue.
*Lay aside your other book reading and read things that address this doubt.
4. Don’t go it alone.
*Humble yourself and share your struggle with trusted counselors God has given you.
**Humility is not being humble when God does a miracle through you. It is when even before you do it and through it that it is all God none of you.
*Our great Coach often speaks through assistant coaches (Hebrews 3:13).
Spiritual sluggishness is common to man (1 Corinthians 10:13). We all experience it. In the slog of our long faith-race and the adversity we encounter from the world, our flesh, and the devil (Ephesians 2:2–3), there are times the reward gets obscured by confusion and discouragements.
” Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” (Deuteronomy 6:5).
Jesus I ask in your name that you will keep me mindful of the opportunities to love others in my life. Open my mind and guide me to chances to follow those who have deep relationships with You. Grant me faith when things seem hopeless, and give me the endurance to run the race you have set before me. I desire to be spiritually sharp, and have a deep meaningful relationship with You. In Your Name I pray, Amen.
Read MoreMan has revolted against God. We are all “sinners.”
Psalms 51:12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. 13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways, so that sinners will turn back to you.
**Let’s Ask God through the day to cleanse us of sin.
*If you are recovering from a serous sin’ it’s hard to imagine teaching others or being spiritually helpful to others, yet that is what God desires and plans for us.
Not too soon—mind you, and not without the oversight of mature believers, but eventually God’s intention is for us to get back in the game.
*Everything-even our sin-can be used by God to help others and heal ourselves. (Romans 8:28 is a great read)
Psalms 51:17 My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.
*It is amazing how God looks beyond our mistakes and failures and find something worthwhile in us.
Yes God punished David for his mistakes but still, He looked beyond all that and found a right spirit, a repentant spirit and a man who was sincerely after His heart.
Perfection may be a tall order for us, but a heart after the heart of God is what moves God. A broken, contrite and honest heart is what he asks for. I’m convinced a lot of us take pride in our doctrine when what the Lord desires from us is just our affection. “To Know Him is to have Eternal life”(JN 17:3).
1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
*Steps To Personal Deliverance–Lifestyle evangelism.
1. Admit that you have a problem.
2. Confess with a repentant heart.
3. Ask God for forgiveness.
4. Turn away from your past life.
5. Obey the Holy Spirit by hearing and reading Scriptures.
1 John 1:10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.
*We might deceive ourselves about our own sin by rationalizing or minimizing the wrong.
*We might blame other people or circumstances instead of accepting responsibility.
*No matter how we deceive ourselves, it is important to understand the dangers of deceit.
The most important danger of delusion is what it does to our relationship with God.
If we deny our sin, we are calling God a liar. We are blocking our own path to walking with him
Is there sins in our life that we’ve been denying? Ask God to help you admit the wrong, take responsibility for it, and turn to him for forgiveness. He will help you and me overcome.
Lord help me be a doer of your word–not a bench warmer. Teach me more and more of what Your love(agape) means and looks like for my neighbor as well as my marriage, my kids, my grandkids, my friends and myself. God, You are love and You are the only solid foundation upon which human love can be built. Help Love be a LIFESTYLE!. Amen
Read More1 Timothy 1:15 Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst.
Romans 6:11 Consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus
Even though you are dead to sin, sin’s strong appeal may still cause you to struggle with feeling that you are more alive to sin than you are to Christ. But Romans 6:1-11 teaches us that what is true of the Lord Jesus Christ is true of us in terms of our relationship to sin and death.
God the Father allowed His Son to “be sin” in order that all the sins of the world–past, present and future–would fall on Him (2 Corinthians 5:21). When He died on the cross, our sins were on Him. But when He rose from the grave, there was no sin on Him. When He ascended to the Father, there was no sin on Him. And today, as He sits at the Father’s right hand, there is no sin on Him. Since we are seated in the heavenlies in Christ, we too have died to sin.
Christ already died to sin, and because you are in Him, you have died to sin too. Sin is still strong and appealing, but your relationship with sin has ended. I’ve met many Christians who are still trying to die to sin, and their lives are miserable and fruitless as a result because they are struggling to do something that has already been done. “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death”(Romans 8:2). see too 1 John 4:4
Romans 6:11 summarizes what we are to believe about our relationship to sin because of our position in Christ. It doesn’t matter whether you feel dead to sin or not; you are to consider it so because it is so. People wrongly wonder, “What experience must I have in order for this to be true?”
The only necessary experience is that of Christ on the cross, which has already happened.
When we choose to believe what is true about ourselves and sin, and walk on the basis of what we believe, our right relationship with sin will work out in our experience. But as long as we put our experience before our belief, we will never fully know the freedom that Christ purchased for us on the cross.
Prayer: Lord, teach me not always to believe what I feel about my relationship to sin, but to believe the truth that I am dead to it. “Therefore, my brothers, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you.” Acts 13:38 Amen
Read MoreIt’s not easy to be the parent. It seems less and less popular to tell kids no.
I needed to know what Proverbs 22:6 teaches,
“Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.”
As parents, we need to set Biblical Boundaries.
*Teach them what the 10 Commandments mean and how they relate to boundaries. If we follow the Commandments by staying within it’s boundaries–our lives will go well. Going Outside the Commandments we will have major problems.
*Teach our kids the difference between realistic and unrealistic expectations. Not cater to their every whim.
*Draw lines between what’s appropriate and inappropriate for language, entertainment, internet, cell phones, games and the length of a hemline.
**Model manners. And what it looks like to seek a life of godliness, not just religious activity.
*Teach them the importance of Purity–Holiness (See 1 Thess. 4)
*Teach them the Character of Jesus (Matthew 5:1-12)
Glory knows I’ve been so imperfect with all this.
But holding the line on being the parent, even when done imperfectly, is good. And will be worth it.
Even in those seasons where you feel as if they’re doing everything the opposite of what you’ve taught them. All that parenting is in them. And the fruit of that will emerge one day.
Yes, be the parent. Teach biblical truths. Stand strong in saying no even when it’s not the popular choice.
*Recognize that a desire to please often prevents us from saying no.
*Remember, there are only 2 clear responses. Yes. No. Any other answer is an excuse to avoid commitment, or a wall to hide behind.
*You have a right to say no! Sometimes no is necessary to maintain respect.
*Keep your answer short. There is no need to justify your answer. Lengthy responses may result in your putting the same answer of for a future date and can even compromise your credibility.
That’s what our kids need so desperately.
And be encouraged, friend … you’re doing better than you think you are.
The Key is to TEACH our children the how and why to have a personal relationship with Jesus. Teach them the Eternal Perspective vs the temporal one here on this earth. Eternity is a long long time and my prayer is that each family member will know that they are going to Heaven. That is my life’s desire-People KNOWING JESUS AS LORD AND SAVIOR!
Dear Lord, You know better than all of us that parenting is hard. Help me to see each day as a teaching opportunity to raise up a child and/or grandchild who loves You and sees that they need a Persoanl Relationship with You. In Jesus’ Name, amen.
Read MoreJesus died so that we might live, therefore it is absolutely essential we receive (by faith) God’s forgiveness for whatever sins we may have committed.
“How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered!” Hebrews 12:15
Is your focus on gaining more knowledge or growing in intimacy and power with Jesus? He desires to know you intimately.
John 17:3 Now this is eternal life – that they KNOW you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you sent.
KNOWING WHO WE ARE—Our Identity
Read MT. 4:1-11
Matthew 4:3, ” The tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become bread.””
Two of Satan’s three temptations began with the words, “If you be the Son of God.”
Jesus was God, but he did have a human body that had to grow in the knowledge and wisdom of God (Jn. 1:1; 1 Tim. 3:16; Lk. 2:52).
It took faith for the physical mind of Jesus to believe the witness of the Spirit within Him that he was the Messiah. Satan was attacking the most basic of His beliefs.
*This must have been a temptation to Jesus or Satan would not have used it.
Satan is very subtle in his temptations. It may have looked like he was trying to get Jesus to perform a miracle, but he was actually trying to make Jesus waiver in His faith of who He was. He tried to get Jesus to draw on the supernatural power of God to confirm it to the devil and Himself.
Unlike Jesus, we sometimes fall for this trick of the devil. We may say that we are arguing for some truth of the gospel, but many times we are hoping to convince ourselves.
Someone who really knows who they are and what they believe, doesn’t have to prove anything to anyone.
Isaiah 30:15 says, “For thus saith the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength…” Let the Lord build your confidence in who you are in Christ.
Every time the devil tempted Jesus to sin while in the desert, Jesus used a scripture to silence the devil. As it also says in Ephesians 6:17, “have as the Sword the word of God which the Spirit gives you”.
*The Word is the Light to our Path
MT. 4: 10 Then Jesus said to him, “Go away, Satan! For it is written: ‘You are to worship the Lord your God and serve only him.’”11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and began ministering to his needs.
Lord God, You are good. I trust You are doing beautiful things in my life even when I can’t see them. Please help me trust when I don’t see Your eternal picture clearly and hold on tightly to You until a new season of clarity. Thank you Lord for the word of God which is the weapon for all believers. Thank you too for the thousands of promises in Your word to encourage me and give me hope till the day You return. Amen.
Read More